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The Four Horsemen (song)
"The Four Horsemen" is the second track off Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All. It is based on the older song "The Mechanix." For "The Four Horsemen," James Hetfield rewrote the lyrics and Kirk Hammett added a solo in the middle. About "The Four Horsemen" was originally written by Dave Mustaine in his former band Panic entitled "The Mechanix". The song was one of Metallica's staples during their clubbing days, albeit with no melodic interlude and different lyrics. The original lyrics were roughly about a sexual encounter at a gas station. James Hetfield has gone on to say the lyrics were "silly". During March of 1983, Lars and James confronted Mustaine about adding a more melodic section. Mustaine claims the middle interlude was inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", though it wouldn't be added until after his removal from the band. When the band fired Dave, James took it upon himself to rewrite the lyrics into something more dark. The result is the song we know today as "The Four Horsemen". Referring the Biblical texts about Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Time, Famine, Pestilence and Death (though the real four horsemen are Conquest, War, Famine and Death) it details the end of the world. The original song "The Mechanix" was later released with its original lyrics on Megadeth's debut album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good as "Mechanix", with a new intro and a much, much faster tempo. Live *"The Four Horsemen" was debuted live on April 23, 1982, in Costa Mesa, California, as the "The Mechanix". It would be debuted live as "The Four Horsemen" on April 22, 1983, in New York City. *The song has been played live 552 times as of the beginning of 2015. 523 times as "The Four Horsemen" and 29 times as "The Mechanix". *The middle interlude was played live until 1985, when it was dropped from the song until Metallica's 30th Anniversary. Trivia Lyrics The Four Horsemen= By the last breath the fourth winds blow Better raise your ears The sound of hooves knock at your door Lock up your wife and children now It’s time to wield the blade For now you've got some company The Horsemen are drawing nearer On leather steeds they ride They've come to take your life On through the dead of night With the Four Horsemen ride Or choose your fate and die You have been dying since the day you were born You know it’s all been planned The quartet of deliverance rides A sinner once, a sinner twice No need for confessions now ‘Cause now you've got the fight of your life The Horsemen are drawing nearer On leather steeds they ride They've come to take your life On through the dead of night With the Four Horsemen ride Or choose your fate and die Time, has taken its toll on you The lines that crack your face Famine, your body it has torn through Withered in every place Pestilence, for what you've had to endure And what you have put others through Death, deliverance for you for sure Now there’s nothing you can do So gather ‘round young warriors now And saddle up your steeds Killing scores with demon swords Now is the death of doers of wrong Swing the judgement hammer down Safely inside armor blood guts and sweat The Horsemen are drawing nearer On leather steeds they ride They've come to take your life On through the dead of night With the Four Horsemen ride Or choose your fate and die |-|The Mechanix= Imagine you were at my station And you brought your motor to me You're a burner, a real motor car You said you want to get your order filled It made me shiver when I put it in Pumping just won't do and luckily for you Who ever thought you'd better At turning a screw than me I do it for my life You made my driveshaft crank You made my pistons bulge You made my ball bearings melt from the heat We were shifting gears hard when we took off Pushin' hard, all four on the floor Then we hit top end, but it feels so slow You said you want to get your order filled It made me shiver when I put it in Pumping just won't do and luckily for you Who ever thought you'd better At turning a screw than me I do it for my life You made my driveshaft crank You made my pistons bulge You made my ball bearings melt from the heat I'm givin' you my full service And you know its more than enough Your engine sparks my plug, ya know that I'm in love Imagine you were at my station And you brought your motor to me Put four on the floor, you know what's in store Who ever thought you'd better At turning a screw than me I do it for my life You made my driveshaft crank You made my pistons bulge You made my ball bearings melt from the heat References Category:Songs Category:Kill 'Em All Category:Lyrics Category:Needs References